(no subject)
saw meatballs for the first time the other night.
of all the 80s flicks i've seen this has the strangest pacing. There are a lot of quiet contemplative scenes. Most of the movie is pretty uneventful and quiet, except for Bill Murray running around cracking jokes. He is pretty hilarious. I definitely enjoyed it. I'm curious to see the second one. No Murray, but i like Richard Mulligan, and it has Pee Wee Herman and John Larroquette.
Also saw "Take Aim at the Police Van". This is an early Seijun Suzuki, that has bee released as part of the Nikatsu Noir box set. It has been a long time since i've seen the other criterion released Suzuki flicks, and i haven't seen any of the other domestic titles, like underworld beauty, tatooed life, or tales of sorrow and sadness. I think the film is purposefully a bit confusing. It is from the prospective of a guy who isn't sure what is going on, so it makes sense that we don't either. I really liked it however. The music is good, the main protagonist is kind of an average joe middle aged man, and i enjoyed that aspect as well. The strangely western femme fatale character is enjoyable as well.
Tonight i watched Insect Woman. This was a 60s Shohei Immamura title. The japanese title is actually "Japonese Entomology"... which i actually prefer having seen the movie.
It is a very dreary story of a girl who has sexual relations with her father, moves to the city, becomes a prostitute, and has her ups and downs... but more downs than ups. She has a daughter who at one point seems ready to follow in her crappy footsteps. (including maybe the incest, but this time with the grandfather). There are some scenes intended to shock, like the dad sucking a boil on his daughters thigh, and drinking her breast milk. The main actress is extremely good. Like a lot of Immamura titles that i've seen it has odd freeze framed scenes. It also mirrors the characters progression with that of the country, including some stock footage of post war japan up to the early 60s when the student riots started.
There is an interesting scene when the emperor surrenders over the radio, and a plot element involving a cult like religious sect (i believe it was Buddhist related, but they incorporated the idea of confession).
Immamura is definitely one of my top 2 or 3 favorite japanese directors. This was filmed 3 years after Pigs and Battleships, which i saw at the PFA 2 years ago. This is from a newish criterion box set, and includes Intentions of Murder, which i will see as soon as it comes into work.
The sociological aspects of this movie, (lots of poor rural family details), are similar to that in Profound Desires of the Gods. Another good one.
of all the 80s flicks i've seen this has the strangest pacing. There are a lot of quiet contemplative scenes. Most of the movie is pretty uneventful and quiet, except for Bill Murray running around cracking jokes. He is pretty hilarious. I definitely enjoyed it. I'm curious to see the second one. No Murray, but i like Richard Mulligan, and it has Pee Wee Herman and John Larroquette.
Also saw "Take Aim at the Police Van". This is an early Seijun Suzuki, that has bee released as part of the Nikatsu Noir box set. It has been a long time since i've seen the other criterion released Suzuki flicks, and i haven't seen any of the other domestic titles, like underworld beauty, tatooed life, or tales of sorrow and sadness. I think the film is purposefully a bit confusing. It is from the prospective of a guy who isn't sure what is going on, so it makes sense that we don't either. I really liked it however. The music is good, the main protagonist is kind of an average joe middle aged man, and i enjoyed that aspect as well. The strangely western femme fatale character is enjoyable as well.
Tonight i watched Insect Woman. This was a 60s Shohei Immamura title. The japanese title is actually "Japonese Entomology"... which i actually prefer having seen the movie.
It is a very dreary story of a girl who has sexual relations with her father, moves to the city, becomes a prostitute, and has her ups and downs... but more downs than ups. She has a daughter who at one point seems ready to follow in her crappy footsteps. (including maybe the incest, but this time with the grandfather). There are some scenes intended to shock, like the dad sucking a boil on his daughters thigh, and drinking her breast milk. The main actress is extremely good. Like a lot of Immamura titles that i've seen it has odd freeze framed scenes. It also mirrors the characters progression with that of the country, including some stock footage of post war japan up to the early 60s when the student riots started.
There is an interesting scene when the emperor surrenders over the radio, and a plot element involving a cult like religious sect (i believe it was Buddhist related, but they incorporated the idea of confession).
Immamura is definitely one of my top 2 or 3 favorite japanese directors. This was filmed 3 years after Pigs and Battleships, which i saw at the PFA 2 years ago. This is from a newish criterion box set, and includes Intentions of Murder, which i will see as soon as it comes into work.
The sociological aspects of this movie, (lots of poor rural family details), are similar to that in Profound Desires of the Gods. Another good one.